An official or employee of a governmental entity may commit corruption as a type of criminal violation. It typically happens when one party abuses their influence to further their own interests in commercial dealings and other interactions with groups that they themselves are in charge of.
Despite the fact that the term “Corruption” is frequently connected to deception and illegal conduct, it actually refers to a type of wicked deed that jeopardizes the liberties and privileges of other people. Bribery and embezzlement are only two of the numerous ways that an individual or an organization may engage in corruption. People in high-ranking posts in our society are frequently corruptible since they have exposure to these types of nefarious activities through their daily professional duties.
“Power doesn’t corrupt people, people corrupt power” _William Gaddis
Corruption in Pakistan
Corruption permeates equally governmental and non-governmental organizations in Pakistan. Bribery and financial fraud are both corruption pitfalls. It likewise encompasses the abuse of power. The effects of corruption on Pakistan’s infrastructure are frightening. Additionally, it undermines public confidence in the effectiveness of societal structures.
As for gaining its sovereignty, corruption has been one of Pakistan’s main challenges. Notwithstanding the fact that many agencies deal with corruption, it’s difficult to curb it. Bribery is one type of corruption that’s often practiced in our culture.
Numerous anti-corruption organizations have been working for decades to eradicate corruption, yet Pakistani residents continue to feel uneasy about their country’s judicial system. Furthermore, middle-class folks are the ones that experience the majority of the issues with the conundrum. A concerted effort for preventing corruption was developed in 2002 as part of an anti-corruption initiative.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has the authority to conduct investigations and bring allegations to court. The main challenge, nevertheless, is the unpredictable nature of anti-corruption efforts and a scarcity of political commitment. Pakistanis struggle with several issues as a result of their nation’s corruption.
Origin of Corruption in Pakistan
Understanding the corruption phenomena in its historical and political context is essential to creating a workable anti-corruption approach for Pakistan. In order to truly eradicate this disease, we must understand how it came into being in Pakistan.
Corruption began when the government decided that only a certain group of people should get all the power. Whilst also giving the property, honors, and positions to a certain group who supported colonial goals as part of political bribery, the colonial form of government encouraged an environment of corruption.
Instead of seeking the betterment of the country, the government, and politicians chose to feather their own nests. White-collar crime in Pakistan dates back to the 1950s, when refugee claims were resolved, industries were sanctioned, and agricultural areas were allocated, however, the mechanisms of money-making gave birth to rife corruption.
By the time of Independence in 1947, corruption among public authorities had significantly increased. Every elected government has toppled during the past ten years as a result of widespread political corruption.
A rising breed of affluent businesspeople who are also politicians has emerged in Pakistan as a result of the influence of funds in politics. These individuals have consistently worked to protect their commercial interests above the interests of the country’s economy.
The Reasons behind Corruption
In areas where there is no tranquility, no rule of law, and no steady administration, corruption is rife. Regrettably, Pakistan has a history of opportunistic, obstructionist, and political scheming. This political instability is the main cause of corruption in the country. When there is no one to keep people in check, they do as they please. Political parties of Pakistan seek their own agendas rather than lift the country up to the heights of development and prosperity. This cruel and selfish thinking has left the country crippled.
Wide-ranging and discretionary powers given to public authorities, act as an incentive for corrupt behavior. They become less responsible as a result. Politicians, bureaucrats, and judges have the authority to restrict private persons’ access to important advantages. They have the power to charge them and their company. These people in authority thus choose to use this power to bully people into doing their bidding. Since they don’t hold themselves accountable for any wrongdoings, they believe themselves to be above the law.
“Authority corrupts and absolute power corrupts totally,” _ Sir John Dalberg-Acton
The policy environment, whether at the peak or bottom of the hierarchy, influences corruption as well. The lower-level authorities tasked with gathering customs, providing police protection, issuing licenses, and similar duties frequently receive payouts. This toxic environment has spread so much that people can’t even get their rightful demands met without offering something in return to officials who have the power to either grant people their rights or let them suffer for years.
Owing to their modest wages, civil and military employees are particularly prone to be involved in corruption. Since their fees and expenditures outweigh their compensation.
A major primary reason for corruption is poverty. Our nation has consistently had poor financial prospects. As always, inflation is increasing. A man who can’t feed himself or his children properly would be more willing to commit corruption in order to afford a better lifestyle. Poverty, especially in the last couple of years has left people in depression and hopelessness. People have lost faith in their government officials to make their lives better.
Smuggling and the booming underground economy are large signs of rampant corruption in Pakistan’s economic state. In contrast to the average yearly growth of 17% under standard GDP, this subterranean sector has grown at a 20% annual pace during the past 23 years.
Consequences of Corruption
Corruption is catastrophic for a country’s economic and social structures. It eats the country from inside and out. The following are a few of the key effects of corruption;
Moral decay is a common result of corruption. The culture of corruption has so spread through our society that it practically defines it. It positions us at the moral fork in the path. The generation is the result of value corruption and power assumption in all spheres of life. Corruption feeds on itself. It encourages all forms of fraud, resentment, deception, neglect, and exploitation of the most defenseless and weaker members of society. It encourages injustice and inequality in society. It violates the fundamental rights to liberty, equality, and fair play.
Economic growth is sluggish as a result of corruption, and state development is also lackluster. The lack of openness has an effect on the private sector. Investment, whether domestic or international, is discouraged as a result. The resource shortage has an influence on the public sector. As a result, it fosters hopelessness and insecurity and takes away from people’s positive goals.
There’s distrust and skepticism when there is corruption. As public administration grows ineffective as a result of the breach of merit, people begin to lose trust in its legitimacy. They also lose trust in the government and its officials.
Due to corruption, individuals’ living standards drop to extremely low levels, which leads to exploitation. Since corruption hinders the economy, efforts to reduce poverty, and provision of public services. As a result, it fuels many forms of crime and violence. The wealth divide is getting wider. The wealthy elite takes advantage of the poor to achieve their own ends.
Remedies to Remove Corruption
Corruption, according to Miss Fatima Jinnah, melts from the top like snow. Elliot asserts that “corruption cannot survive without the complicity of political leadership, even if passive.” Therefore, the most important need is that the individuals who hold the highest executive positions be men of integrity who do not engage in corruption and do not allow others to do so.
A legal system ought to exist to ensure that “thieves” are apprehended. The law should indeed be feared by the populace, and anyone found guilty of corruption should face harsh penalties.
Any state that wants to advance must first embrace transparency, integrity, and fairness. It is essential to instill a culture of transparency and merit in all of Pakistan’s departments if the country is to become free of corruption. Favoritism, the culture of receiving favors, and bribery have no place in society.
There’s a socio-economic issue with corruption. All nation’s residents ought to live in social fairness and equity. Realistic wage scales must be used for public officials. Their pay should be sufficient to cover their necessities.
Conclusion
Corruption is a plague that is eating our society. It is a disease that we need to rid our society of. Only the joint efforts of the government and the people can achieve this goal. We must put our country’s betterment first and work with honesty and integrity to eradicate corruption. Only then we’d make a corruption-free Pakistan.
Short essay on corruption in Pakistan
Corruption is the improper use of power for one’s own gain. Among the biggest problems our nation has faced for a long time is corruption. Corruption comes in many different shapes and forms. The selfishness of a person versus the interests of the community supports corruption.
Pakistan has a serious corruption issue. Despite the numerous organizations in place to manage it, corruption is difficult to curtail or even avoid. Bribery is one type of corruption that is commonplace here and exists for decades. Everyone can provide money in exchange for protection from being arrested, exploited by law enforcement, etc.
Considering people continue to have issues with the country’s judicial system, many anti-corruption initiatives have been ineffective. When one party bribes or increases agreements given without following the proper procedures, which disproportionately favors the already rich members of a community, there doesn’t seem to be fairness and justice.
It’s unfortunate that there is still a lot of corruption in the administration. It appears that nothing further can be done to root out corruption inside our government than inquisitive journalists can, as the few high-profile cops who have been apprehended are simply the tip of the iceberg. Although it may feel important or intimate at first, every one of us has an even more important duty to play by refusing any bribery from anybody.
A few encouraging actions are being taken by the government to combat corruption. Investigative journalists’ discovery of high-profile police engaging in bribery and subsequent elimination of it is another instance of this.
The government should also employ all available means to raise public consciousness of corruption. In order to minimize corruption, the state must ethically uplift its people. Corruption can only be defeated if people recognize how serious an issue it is and takes action to stop it. If we wish to save our economy and institutions as a responsible nation, then corruption needs to be confronted severely.
“ The duty of youth is to challenge corruption” _ Kurt Cobain